The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has notified 5,431 Group-C posts in Karnataka government departments and boards, including 827 First Division Assistant (FDA) and 2,029 Second Division Assistant (SDA) posts, through four notifications dated 29 October 2026. Apply online from 30 October to 25 November 2026; the fee can be paid until 26 November 2026. FDA needs a degree and SDA needs 2nd PUC. The exam is in January 2027.
| Organisation | Karnataka Examinations Authority |
|---|---|
| Total Vacancies | 5,431 posts |
| Qualification | Degree (FDA and other degree-level posts); 2nd PUC or equivalent (SDA and other PUC-level posts) |
| Age Limit | 18 – 40 years (as on 25 Nov 2026) |
| Salary / Pay Scale | FDA ₹44,425–83,700; SDA ₹34,100–67,600 |
| Employment Type | Government of Karnataka, Group C |
| Job Location | Karnataka |
| Notifications ED/KEA/14 to 17 | 29 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|
| Online application starts | 30 Oct 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 25 Nov 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | 26 Nov 2026 |
| Kannada language test | 08 Jan 2027 |
| FDA exam (KK) | 09 Jan 2027 |
| FDA exam (RPC) | 10 Jan 2027 |
| SDA exam (KK) | 16 Jan 2027 |
| SDA exam (RPC) | 17 Jan 2027 |
| General Merit, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B | ₹750 |
|---|---|
| SC, ST, Category-1, Ex-Servicemen, Transgender | ₹500 |
| Persons with disability | ₹250 |
| Post Name | Vacancies | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Group-C degree level, RPC (ED/KEA/14), incl. 609 FDA | 2163 | Degree |
| Group-C degree level, KK (ED/KEA/15), incl. 218 FDA | 563 | Degree |
| Group-C 2nd PUC level, RPC (ED/KEA/16), incl. 1,534 SDA | 2070 | 2nd PUC or equivalent |
| Group-C 2nd PUC level, KK (ED/KEA/17), incl. 495 SDA | 635 | 2nd PUC or equivalent |
| Qualification | FDA: degree; SDA: 2nd PUC or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Age (25 November 2026) | 18–40 GM; up to 43 for 2A/2B/3A/3B; up to 45 for SC/ST/Category-1 |
| Kannada | Kannada language test unless Kannada was a first/second language in SSLC, the candidate studied in Kannada medium, or already passed the compulsory Kannada test (KPSC or another recruiting authority) |
Written exam
Paper-1 and Paper-2, 100 marks each, offline OMR, 1/4 negative marking, minimum 35%.
Kannada language test
Qualifying (pass 50 of 150) unless exempt.
Post allotment
Post preferences entered online after the result; allotment by merit and preference; one post per candidate.
Document verification
By the appointing department.
Open the apply link
On cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea, open the Group-C apply link (30/10/2026); it leads to the KEA recruitment 2026 portal.
Register and fill the form
Register on the portal and fill in the application form.
Upload photo and signature
Photo: JPEG, white background, 50–200 KB. Signature: JPEG, 50–70 KB.
Pay and submit
Pay the fee online by 26 November 2026. No corrections are allowed after submission.
Applications open (as of 2 November 2026). Last date: 25 November 2026; fee payment until 26 November 2026. Details cannot be corrected after submission.
| Notification | Qualification level | Cadre | Total posts | Of which | Exam date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ED/KEA/14/NV/2026 | Degree | Residual parent cadre (RPC) | 2,163 | FDA 609 | 10 January 2027 |
| ED/KEA/15/NV/2026 | Degree | Kalyana Karnataka (KK) local cadre | 563 | FDA 218 | 9 January 2027 |
| ED/KEA/16/NV/2026 | 2nd PUC | Residual parent cadre (RPC) | 2,070 | SDA 1,534 | 17 January 2027 |
| ED/KEA/17/NV/2026 | 2nd PUC | Kalyana Karnataka (KK) local cadre | 635 | SDA 495 | 16 January 2027 |
| Total | 5,431 | FDA 827, SDA 2,029 |
FDA and SDA figures are our count of the posts titled FDA or SDA in each notification; they leave out FDA-cum-Computer Operator, FDA/Revenue Inspector, SDA Accounts Assistant and SDA-cum-Record Sorter posts. The rest of the posts are other Group-C posts of the same level (for example Accounts Assistant, Gram Panchayat Secretary, Warden, Junior Assistant). The department-wise list is in each notification; category-wise vacancies are published separately and are provisional.
| Paper | Subjects | Questions / marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-1 | General Knowledge | 100 / 100 | 2 hours |
| Paper-2 | General Kannada, General English, Computer knowledge | 100 / 100 | 2 hours |
| Kannada language test (if not exempt) | Kannada, SSLC first-language standard | 150 marks, pass 50 (qualifying only) | 8 January 2027 |
Offline OMR exam. A quarter of the question's marks is cut for each wrong answer, and also for each question where no circle is shaded (shade the 5th circle to skip). Minimum 35% marks to qualify. After the result, qualified candidates enter post preferences online and posts are allotted by merit and preference; each candidate gets only one post across the four notifications.
25 November 2026. The fee can be paid until 26 November 2026.
By our count of posts titled FDA or SDA in the notifications: 827 FDA (609 RPC + 218 KK) and 2,029 SDA (1,534 RPC + 495 KK), within 5,431 Group-C posts in all. FDA-cum-Computer Operator and similar posts are counted separately.
18 to 40 years for General Merit, 43 for 2A/2B/3A/3B and 45 for SC/ST/Category-1, on 25 November 2026.
₹750 for General Merit and 2A/2B/3A/3B; ₹500 for SC, ST, Category-1, Ex-Servicemen and transgender candidates; ₹250 for persons with disability. Paid online; not refundable.
FDA: 9 January 2027 (KK) and 10 January 2027 (RPC). SDA: 16 January 2027 (KK) and 17 January 2027 (RPC). Kannada language test: 8 January 2027.
